Course of the Year

This section takes a look at the very best APCD courses and designers that have earnt the extra special Course of the Year Award.

COURSE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

2000 - Munchen Nord, Eichenried by Guenter Kujat

This is the course that really set the standard quality benchmark for all those that have come since. Just a couple of months after Links 2001 itself was released, this European course came into being, having been developed during beta testing of the game. With its subsequent updates, it remains one of the most realistic looking courses ever made, and is very accurate to the real tournament venue. Its tournament option with crowds and advertising boards again set such high standards that few compare well to it even now. For European players in particular it will feel so much like playing a round on your local course. It came packaged with an amazing video preview and to be honest nothing came even close to this course for the 2000 year award.

2001 - Pacific Breaks by Mike Jones

Throughout 2001 the amazing and revolutionary links style course of Northern Dunes by Mike Jones looked odds on for the Course of the Year title. However in December of this year, the same designer released a course that would visually change coastlines forever. Pacific Breaks was born, very close in style to the great Pebble Beach and at times a really scary course to play. Never had the cliffs and coastline looked so realistic or played so much a part in the hazards of the game. The course has been revamped for Links 2003, and it remains one of the all time inspirational designs that laid down its mark in the game’s history for others to follow.

2002 - Royal County Kilderry by Mike Jones

Mike Jones continued to develop as the most established designer of this time. Building on his opening links style course of Northern Dunes he created another groundbreaking links course called Royal County Kilderry. Everything about this pushed the boundaries a little more, from the ground level grasses and planting to the rolling links farmland landscape. Its strategic lay-out still remains one of the strongest today, and the railway line at the back of the 8th remains a unique feature rarely if ever surpassed. In a neat link the clubhouse was provided by Guenter Kujat the 2000 winning designer. Other designs that contested the title that year were Shadowlands, also by Mike Jones, TPC @ Sawgrass by Anders Bessermann, Medinah No.3 by John Pineda and Cabo del Sol by Microsoft.

2003 - Burn’s Old Links by Mike Jones

On the back of the Links 2003 box release, this year was quite simply the strongest ever for the number of top class releases. Tall Pines Estate by Wayne Hewitt, Brabazon at The Belfry by The Dark Horse Team, Brookline by Eddie Schmidt and Merion East by Dexter Gresh were all at Course of the Year quality. However it was Burn’s Old Links by Mike Jones that became a firm favourite amongst so many players, a links course in the traditional old style with wooden boarded bunkers, many routes available from tee to green and an astounding landscape of rolls and dips. It remains a phenomenon in terms of lay-out and strategy that set it apart from all the amazing courses also released that year. It showed just how St Andrews should have been replicated and fully deserved its year end award.  

2004 - Augusta National by Andrew Jones

In a year of releases to almost rival 2003, this year was also crammed full of amazing courses shortlisted for the title including Bull Run by Eddie Schmidt, Crystal Pines, Rugged Dune and Las Joyas all by Mike Jones and Wagga Wagga by Wayne Hewitt. But in late December of this year came perhaps the most awaited course of all time, Augusta National by Andrew Jones, a design aided by Wayne Hewitt, Mike Jones and Anders Bessermann. It’s accuracy is astounding, and the course has a beauty that was already assured by the real venue. Given that it also gave the game a new lease of life being packaged with the 1.06 game modification it stole the award with the last gasp of the year.    

2005 - Pebble Beach by Chuck Clark

Cara Brae by Mike Jones was a final developement of his amazing links and coastline skills and whilst this was the highest quality course release of 2005, in the final decision it was the communal popularity and real life accuracy of Pebble Beach by Chuck Clark that stole the award. Being such a high profile major venue this just has that extra factor of drawing you back so many times for a replay, and edged out the very deserving Cara Brae by a whisker. Pebble Beach is one of the greatest real life venues and this version is a fantastic replica and simply majestic to play. It remains one of the best real course designs of all time.   

2006 - Crooked Creek by Wayne Hewitt

2006 was the year for real course releases including the high quality of The Inverness Club by Bruce Ditmyer and Harbour Town by Eddie Schmidt. However, it was a fictional course which stood out above them all to deservedly claim the award. Crooked Creek is a masterpeice in all aspects, an Australian sandbelt course with amazingly real planting and breathtaking views with an superb panorama and clubhouse. This design certainly rivals Burn’s Old Links for the title of best course of all time and finally gives Wayne Hewitt a Course of the Year accolade he clearly deserved after the close runs of Tall Pines Estate and Wagga Wagga.     

2007 - Shinnecock Hills by Robert Miller

The 2007 Course of the Year award was hotly contested with a shortlist that included Adams Tree by Paul Seaman and Westchester Country Club by Steve Avery. In the end it was the realism and accuracy of Shinnecock Hills, being so detailed, having neat real touches like sprinkler heads and worn textures and a wonderful natural playability. The grass patchwork effects adds real depth and the excellent clubhouse with 3d outbuildings raise this to the highest level. It is an open looking, fantastic design and one we are familiar with as a majors venue.

2008 - Pinehurst #2 by Robert Miller

Robert Miller has emerged as a latter stars of designing using the APCD, following up his 2007 Course of the Year award with a successive win, this time with Pinehurst #2. Given that this real course was high on many peoples most wanted list gives it a great platform, but the way this has been re-created with such detail, superb textures, objects and of course those trademark domed greens is an outstanding achievement. This will remain one of the all time great course designs, and in a year that started to show signs that new course designs were slowing, this was the star of the show by a good margin.

2009 - Pilgrim Trails by Mike Jones

There was a head to head clash of the titans for the 2009 title as Mike Jones returned after a long break to release Pilgrim Trails, and Robert Miller aimed for a hatrick of wins with a remake of Bethpage Black. Both designs were definately amongst the best of all time and would have made great winners, but in the end it was the fictional Pilgrim Trails that edged home for Mike’s 4th award title. This fir tree lines course is exemplary, with superb textures, beautiful colours and a clever lay out. This one has more natural beauty and less thrills than some of Mike’s other releases and is certainly one of his crowning achievements.

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